Frosted Avengers
by KP02
Summary: What happens when Jack Frost shows up to a fight between Loki and the Avengers? Snowballs and mental hospitals, that's what!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so this got in my head somehow. Also, I know that I have at least three other fics I need to update… I'll get to them eventually… Maybe after I get this whole Rise of the Guardians thing out of my system. Anyways, review please!**

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It wasn't all that odd when it started snowing during the Avengers newest battle with Loki: animated statues overrunning Central Park while the megalomaniac laughed. After all, it was November in New York. They generally got a little snow. The sudden ice underfoot was both inconvenient and strange, with the way it just appeared, but they had bigger things to worry about. In fact, they didn't notice anything was wrong until Loki's look of gleeful malevolence turned to outright anger. They braced themselves for a new attack, wondering what had set him off.

"Frost! I told you to stay away from here!" Loki bellowed, aiming a strike at what appeared to be thin air. Instantly, Thor's face lit up and looked around until he was gazing at the same spot Loki was.

"Jack! Where have you been?" He greeted enthusiastically, striding forward to embrace…nothing. As soon as Thor stepped back, Loki's eyes narrowed.

"Why, you impertinent little…" He hissed, lunging forward. The Avengers braced themselves to move forward and defend Thor, although wondering what was going on. Did the brothers have an imaginary friend? But a snowball hit Loki in the face, stopping him in his tracks.

"Um, who threw a snowball?" Tony asked, landing and flipping up his faceplate. Thor looked back at them, obviously confused.

"Can't you see him?" The god of thunder asked. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"See who?"

"Jack Frost, you idiot." Loki spat, still wiping his face. Tony laughed.

"There's no such thing as Jack Frost, he's a kid's story." He informed the two brothers. Loki laughed now, but there wasn't much joy in it.

"You see Frost, they don't believe. They never will." He claimed, then dodged another snowball that appeared out of thin air, only to retaliate with a blast of magic. Thor ignored them in order to turn back to his team, a delighted look on his face.

"That's it! You must believe in him, then you'll be able to see him!" He exclaimed. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so then we can all keep each other company in the mental hospital!" He mocked.

"Tony. Just do it." Steve ordered. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I believe in Jack Frost." He said in a bored voice. Instantly, like a green screen effect, there was a boy there, floating in the air. Tony's eyes widened and he studied him a little more carefully. White hair topped a pale face made up of bright blue eyes and a cocky grin. He had on a blue, frosted hoodie coupled with pants that looked about three centuries old and no shoes despite the cold. In his hand was what looked like a shepherd's crook.

"Holy- do you guys see him? Or have I gone mental?" He exclaimed, rubbing his eyes.

"I see him. I'm still working on believing it though." Natasha put in. Loki rolled his eyes.

"You mortals are so small-minded. You will believe that there are whole other worlds out there, but you won't even believe in the spirits in your own." He waved a hand and disappeared in a burst of green smoke. The Avengers stared at the spot where he was, then reverted their attention back to the teenager who was now sitting atop his staff, showcasing amazing balance. He grinned and waved.

"Hey."

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**Thinking about doing another chapter with the scene from Jack's point of view... Thoughts? Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok, so you guys are awesome. Here's the next chapter, from Jack's POV. I'm thinking about doing another one with how Jack met our alien brothers. Namely because I enjoy the dynamics between Jack and Loki. :D Anyways, review! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or Rise of the Guardians.**

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Jack was flying over New York when he noticed the magical signature radiating outwards. He grinned and immediately dropped towards it. Loki had made it perfectly clear to the other spirits that New York was his and that they better not mess with it. Of course, Jack had never taken orders well. He dove towards the ongoing fight, still grinning as the snow began falling and frosting the ground under their feet, just for fun. Then he perched in a nearby tree and watched the fun. When Loki noticed, his face turned an interesting shade of red.

"Frost! I told you to stay away from here!" He yelled. Jack grinned and jumped down from the tree to lean on his staff.

"Aw, but I missed you." He said with a mock pout. Thor interrupted now.

"Jack! How have you been?" He bellowed, embracing him and pounding his back heartily. Jack coughed.

"Great, big guy. Just figured I'd pop down and see how your brother was doing, maybe make the atmosphere a little chillier for him." He said. Loki's eyes narrowed.

"Why, you impertinent little…" He lunged forwards, but Jack already had a snowball waiting for him. He noted absentmindedly that his "fun magic" had no effect on the trickster god. Then a man in an iron suit drew his attention.

"Um, who threw a snowball?" He asked, confusion evident. Jack rolled his eyes. He really hated adults. Children were much better, more eager to have fun and not nitpick.

"Can't you see him?" Thor asked.

"Nope, he doesn't believe." Jack informed Thor over the robo-man's question of who he was supposed to be seeing.

"Jack Frost, you idiot." Loki said. Jack had to laugh as he noticed that Loki was still wiping snow from his face.

"You know, you really do resemble a cat right now." He laughed out. The tin can's next words stopped his laughter though.

"There's no such thing as Jack Frost. He's a kid's story." He said. Jack forced his smile to stay. It was just one more denial, one more person not believing. It would be alright, he had some that believed in him now. Loki laughed now, a hard, bitter laugh that was so different from the first time Jack had met him.

"You see Frost, they don't believe. They never will." He said, green eyes focused solely on him. Jack was eerily reminded of Pitch, but just threw another snowball. Loki was going through a hard time right now, but he'd known the Asgardian a long time ago, when he was still a fun guy to be around. Jack easily dodged the blast of magic sent his way.

"Still the same old tricks, huh? You really need a new one. That staff was pretty neat. Where'd it go?" He said, floating a few feet from Thor, ready to dodge again. Then the robo-man's voice intruded into his consciousness.

"Fine. I believe in Jack Frost." He sounded bored, but he still said it. Jack turned to look at him, eyes wide. From the shell-shocked look on the man's face, he could see him, as could the others.

"Holy-do you guys see him? Or have I gone mental?" The man asked, rubbing his eyes. Jack grinned. He loved this part.

"I see him. Still working on believing it though." The redheaded woman said.

"You mortals are so small-minded. You will believe that there are whole other worlds out there, but you won't even believe in the spirits in your own." Loki said derisively, then he gone in a puff of green smoke. Dramatic, as usual. Jack rolled his eyes and leapt to crouch on top of his staff. He raised a hand at the still shocked group of heroes.

"Hey."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: If you were looking forward to the reactions of the Avengers…well, that's not happening yet. This is turning into more of a series of one-shots that probably won't have that much continuity. I place this one a little after Jack became a spirit.  
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It was the singing that attracted him. He was flying over Norway, heading towards Siberia, when the wind brought the deep, booming voice to his ears. It seemed to be a good song: all about victory in battle and beautiful women, so Jack dropped down to see who it was and listen to the rest of it. Walking along the snowy road were two men, one singing while the other had an exasperated look. The singer was a large, brawny man with golden hair and blue eyes. He wore armor that looked as though it had come from long ago and a red cape billowed from his shoulders. The other was the singer's opposite: black where there was gold, green where there was blue, pale where there was tan, and lean where there was brawn. Jack stood off to the side of the road, leaning on his staff and watching them. The blonde man was enthusiastic with his singing: flinging his arms and occasionally acting out the scenes told. The dark haired man, however, was looking steadily more and more annoyed at every near hit from his companion. Jack grinned at the two. He couldn't help it, they were just somewhat comical. When they were closer, only a few feet away, the blonde dropped his song.

"Greetings!" He boomed, looking straight at Jack. The winter sprite glanced around, confused. There wasn't anyone else around, so…

"C-can you see me?" He stammered, almost breathless. The dark one rolled his eyes.

"Of course. Do you think we are blind?" He snarked. Jack ignored him for the moment, a grin spreading across his face.

"You can see me!" He exclaimed, large white snowflakes beginning to fall in response to his rising excitement.

"Can others not?" The blonde asked. Jack shook his head.

"No. No matter what I do, no one can see me." He said, the sobering reality tempering his joy somewhat.

"Have you ever heard of this, brother?" The blonde asked. So they were brothers. That was odd: they looked and acted nothing alike. The darker one rubbed his chin, studying Jack.

"Very rarely… What is your name?" He asked abruptly.

"Jack Frost." He answered.

"I am Thor Odinson, and this is my brother, Loki." The blonde one, Thor, informed him. Jack frowned.

"I've heard those names before…" He mused, falling into his habit of talking to himself. He snapped his fingers and a flurry of snowflakes appeared to join their brethren.

"That's right! Those are like, Norse gods! Thor was the god of…thunder, and Loki was mischief and fire!" He exclaimed. He'd snuck into a house and heard a mother telling her son stories about the two. They seemed like fun to hang out with, even if Loki seemed to like fire. Fire and ice rarely got along, but Jack figured he'd make an exception in order to get the pranks. Thor held up a giant hammer Jack had somehow not noticed before.

"Indeed, the mortals think of us as gods because we live long and do not injure easily." He boomed. Jack grinned.

"Sounds fun!"

"Jokul Frosti!" Loki interrupted. Jack considered the name for an instant, then nodded.

"Yeah, that's my name. Kinda." He said. Loki rubbed his forehead.

"Foolish." He muttered, heaving a sigh, "you are a winter spirit, like Father Frost.* Thus, people cannot see you unless they believe in you. It's the price for your immortality and powers." He explained. Jack frowned.

"Powers that I never wanted. Great." He'd be more upset, but he had suspected as much.

"Anyways, where are you guys going?" He asked, shifting positions. He hated staying still this long.

"We seek adventure!" Thor answered, a wide grin splitting his face. Loki remained sulky, looking rather like a cat.

"Such as there is in Midgard." He muttered. Jack nodded and started float upwards.

"Good luck!" Just before he was out of earshot, he aimed a snowball at Loki's head.

"Lighten up, sourpuss!" He laughed at the glare the mischief god sent him. In the next instant he was gone, the wind whipping him towards his original destination.

Over the decades, he saw the two brothers a few more times. He and Loki began a prank war after the second meeting, generally through instigating rumors among the other spirits, some of whom Jack was beginning to meet. Altogether, he was beginning to feel less lonely.

When Loki attacked New York, Jack didn't hear about it until afterwards. He had been shocked. The trickster god had always been unbalanced, but never to that point. And he had never shown any desire to conquer the world, instead having only derision for it and the mortals living there. Jack had quickly made his way to New York, but the brothers were already gone.

A year later, when he felt the signs of Loki's magic, he immediately went to it. He found the Asgardian bitter and hateful, ordering all spirits to stay out of his domain, otherwise known as New York City, and especially the Avengers. Of course, Jack saw that as a challenge and visited often in an attempt to revive their friendly rivalry. He liked to think that Loki enjoyed their spars, both physical and verbal. It didn't really matter if he did. Loki was one of the few to see him; he wasn't just throwing that away.

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***Father Frost is the badass Russian version of Jack Frost, who binds the world with ice chains. Basically, I'm trying to bring in some of the mythology surrounding Jack Frost.**

**Speaking of which, I'm going to explain some of the stuff in the chapter, like where I got Jokul Frosti from. I went online to try and figure out the origins of Jack Frost. From what I saw, the Nordes had Jokul Frosti, who was the son of a Nordic wind god, was a cowardly guy, blah, blah blah. Long story short, when the Nordes went to England, the English bastardized him into their own version, which is the one we know now: a winter sprite by the name of Jack Frost. There's a buttload of other winter spirits too, which I may or may not bring in. I dunno, I just like the idea of Jack and a bunch of winter spirits hanging out and griping about how they don't get any respect and nobody likes them.**


	4. Chapter 4

Continued from Chapter 1&2…

Before Jack could escape the scrutiny, he was being dragged back to Stark Tower. Everyone introduced themselves in a rapid-fire fashion. Jack was almost certain that he wasn't going to remember them all, especially with Stark in the background loudly ordering schwarma. He still wasn't sure about them: he preferred children to adults in almost every situation. Of course, Loki was a different story entirely; the trickster god was one of his best friends. Sure, they were going through a hard time right now, but most friendships did.

"Hey, Frosty! You like schwarma?" Stark called. Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, it's fine." He answered. He'd snatched some awhile back and liked it well enough. He didn't really need to eat anyways.

"Good. It's pretty much an initiation ritual anymore." Stark said with a cheeky grin. Jack stopped walking at that.

"Hey, whoa, whoa. I'm NOT joining your little team here. I just dropped in for a little while." He said. He was already part of one team, and that was quite enough, thank you.

"You did help us against Loki." Rogers pointed out.

"I threw a couple snowballs at him." Jack deadpanned.

"Which was a surprisingly effective maneuver." Stark put in. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Sorry guys, but I've got other duties. I can't just stay in New York all the time." He said, then squinted up at the sun, "in fact, some kids in Oklahoma were due for a snow day about two hours ago." He leapt into the wind and gave a wave to the Avengers. He was getting used to that shell-shocked expression on their faces.

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"Does anyone else get the feeling that he just likes making us look like idiots?" Tony was the first to break the silence, as usual. No one had spoken until they were in the main room in the Tower.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're an idiot?" Clint retorted. Tony frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why did you think he wanted to be an 'Avenger'?" Clint asked.

"Maybe because he fought with us and helped us out?" Tony retorted.

"Tony has a point, he did seem to want to help." Steve actually agreed with Tony, for the first time since they had met.

"Oh, so because he threw a couple snowballs and bantered a little with Loki, he's suddenly ready to fight? He's just a kid." Clint argued. Thor chuckled.

"Jack is no child to you. He is older than all of you. Younger than me and Loki, but most here are." He proclaimed.

"He can't be older than Capsicle here, he barely looks like he's over seventeen." Tony scoffed. Thor laughed again.

"He is much older than the good Captain. As near as I have been able to tell, as I have never actually asked him, he is just over three hundred years old." Silence greeted Thor's statement.

"Three hundre-that's not even… How is that possible?" Tony sputtered. Thor shrugged.

"Magic."

"Magic is just an extension of science. Maybe Jack's condition has something do with some sort of serum." Bruce spoke up. Tony seized upon that idea.

"Yes! I'm sure that's it. Next time he's here, we'll run some tests and see what's going on." He decided. Thor just shook his head. It was not a good idea to try and understand Jack Frost, but he knew the scientists would not rest until they were satisfied.

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**A/N: Yeah, that was really short… And I rewrote it like three times, but I'm still not satisfied with it. Whatever. I hope you enjoyed it. Review either way, feel free to tell me how terrible it was. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Loki didn't necessarily dislike Jack Frost. He liked him as well as anyone else in his life. Perhaps even better. At least the winter spirit enjoyed his pranks, as long as no children got hurt. Blasted children. No, Loki didn't dislike Frost. He disliked-no, hated-the cold that Frost brought with him. He wanted no reminders of the monster that he was.

Perhaps he was even afraid. Afraid that if Jack found out what he was, that he was the monster under the bed, then he'd hate him. That he'd never speak to him. So, rather than suffer the inevitable, Loki drove the boy away. Just like he drove everyone else away. He didn't need anyone else. He was perfectly happy. Sure, he had been banished from Asgard, but when had they ever accepted him? He had a penthouse now, in New York. Right under the Avengers noses. Two streets over, in fact. No, he didn't need anyone. He was happy right there.

He was sitting in front of the large bay window, watching the snow fall and contemplating his next move against the Avengers. As much as he hated to admit it, he rather enjoyed this. This giant game of chess, played with buildings and people and magic. Maybe that was why he hadn't rid the world of the meddling superheroes. After all, he could. He was powerful and intelligent. He wasn't exhausted and under the Chitari's control now: it would be child's play. But he was having fun.

When the front door opened, he didn't turn around.

"I don't need you today Maria, thank you." He called to the cleaning lady.

"Maria? Wow, Bunny said I was petite, but I didn't think I looked like a girl." Jack Frost. Loki gritted his teeth. The boy had visited several times after he had returned from Asgard. Anytime Frost was passing through, he would let himself into Lokis house. The trickster god still wasn't sure how the teen got in, but he couldn't stop him. Didn't really want to, even if he would never admit it.

"Jack. Why are you here?" A burst of cold air and Jack landed lightly in front of him.

"What, is there some rule against visiting friends?" He asked, going to inspect the window. Loki sighed when frost patterns started to form on the glass.

"If you're looking for Thor, I'm afraid him and I don't get along very well anymore. You'll find him with his new friends, the Avengers." He said. It was almost a ritual now, and they had the beginnings of their meetings practically scripted.

"Nah, he's somewhere in New Mexico. I haven't been able to catch him." Jack said, stepping away from the now fully frosted window.

"What a shame. Perhaps you should go to New Mexico." Loki suggested. Jack grinned.

"You're more fun." He said simply. That statement shot straight to his heart, and Loki stood to hide it, beginning to pace.

"You planning your next prank?" Frost asked, twirling his staff. Loki gave him a glare of irritation.

"They are not pranks. They are attempts at freedom." He said sharply. Freedom from, well, he wasn't sure, but he wanted freedom from something. He knew that much. Jack shrugged.

"Tomato, tomahto. What are you doing this time?" He asked, a gleam in his eye. Loki glared again.

"None of your business. Didn't I tell you to stay out of New York?" Not that he ever listened.

"I forgot," Jack lied easily, "you know, if you don't tell me, I could always tell Khione* that you love her and that's why you got yourself banished." He said, an evil grin spreading across his face. Loki narrowed his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare." He hissed. Jack shrugged, mischief dancing in his blue eyes.

"Oh, Khione, he thinks that you're beautiful! He just loves your frosty stuffiness." He said in a falsetto. Loki growled.

"Fine. But only if you agree to freeze the streets that I tell you to." He bargained. With that, his plan would work perfectly. Jack considered it.

"Would anyone get hurt?" He asked. Loki shrugged.

"No guarantees. But if everything goes according to plan, only my brother and his friends will get hurt. And they are more than capable of handling it." He answered. Jack thought about it, then grinned.

"Let's do it."

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***Daughter of Boreas, the north-wind and Greek goddess of snow. **

**Yeah, I see Jack and Loki as being bff's. :D Luckily for me, this was actually confirmed by FrostSprite as being true to Norse mythology. So, yeah, hope you enjoyed it! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: For those of you that wanted to see what Loki's prank was…well, you may have to just imagine that in your heads, 'cause I have no idea what it was. Anyways, have a Christmas fic! In April… Yeah…**

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Since he became a spirit, Christmas had never been Jack's favorite time of year. He didn't get any presents, he didn't have presents to look forward to, and children usually stayed inside with their families. All in all, it just wasn't the best day for him. Besides, most people claimed they wanted a "White Christmas", but they didn't really. Whenever he gave it to them they complained about not being able to get around, flights being canceled and roads being frozen. Sure, there were a few that didn't mind the snow, but only a few, and those few that were grateful didn't outweigh those that weren't by any means. About fifty years before he became a Guardian, he figured out that a lot of the other winter spirits didn't have anyone to spend the holidays with. And even if they didn't particularly like Christmas, or celebrate it, they still wanted to be with others sometime, and why not Christmas? So he organized a little get-together, down in Antarctica. It started on Christmas Eve and generally ran into late Christmas morning.

This year though… This year was different. This year he had other people that wanted to be around him. The Guardians had invited-more of assumed, really-him to the North Pole to celebrate as soon as North was finished with the packages. The Avengers-for some odd reason-had invited them to their celebration. And he knew that Loki would be alone, which was a definite no-no. Sometimes he wished he could clone himself. In the end, he decided to just invite Loki to Antarctica. And probably show up in his apartment to bug him just before leaving. Because really, leaving him alone on a holiday was a bad idea that would just culminate in more issues. The trickster god had other ideas though.

"Why should I go to a pointless party?" Loki argued. Jack sighed.

"I don't know, maybe because it's fun? And you might make some friends?" He suggested. He really didn't deserve this. He was trying to be nice.

"I do not need friends. And I do not wish to engage in the pointless endeavor that is being nice to people." Loki stated.

"Oh, for Pete's sa-C'mon, we're gonna be late. Just do your teleporty thing, or I won't ever leave." Jack said, frustrated at him and the stick that was up his butt. Loki sighed as though he was heavily put upon.

"Fine. But I do this under protest." He said, delicately touching Jack's upper arm, the part that was covered by his hoodie. Then the world swirled and grew much colder. The icy white hills of Antarctica came into view, dotted by the familiar figures of the other spirits. Jack grinned.

"Thanks, Loki. I'm glad you came." He said. Loki sighed again, brushing some snow off his shoulder.

"It is only because I do not wish to be aggravated further." He stated. Jack opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by a stiff voice behind them.

"Jack. Loki. Nice to see you again." Khione. This should be fun. Jack turned around, a wide grin splitting his face.

"Hey, Khione! Long time, no see! Loki, remember Khione?" He said. Was it his imagination or did the Ice Queen herself look a little eager? Meanwhile, Loki just looked annoyed.

"Of course I remember her. I am intelligent." He said.

"Ah, Jack Frost. Are you well?" The dignified, older Native American was the next to approach the pair. Jack gave a little wave.

"Peboan! I'm great, glad to see you could make it!" He hardly moved from Lake Superior, but he generally managed to come to the gatherings.

The next few minutes were a myriad of greetings and Loki fighting off both Khione and Marzanna, a Slavic winter spirit who seemed to think that because she and Loki were in the same hemisphere culturally, she had a right to him. Khione, of course, took offense to that and it inevitably ended up in a small catfight that wasn't helped by the alcohol that someone snuck into the drinks. Jack suspected the sprites, they always caused trouble. He generally approved of it though.

The next two hours passed quickly, what with breaking up fights and starting the annual competition of who could freeze the most penguins. Peboan won, but Jack swore he cheated. Just as they were about to begin their feast, the Northern Lights appeared in the sky. Jack groaned.

"I swear, if they're just trying to get me there for Christmas…" He threatened, then looked imploringly at Loki, "I don't suppose you can just teleport me there?" Once again, he looked put-upon, but Jack noticed that he grabbed his arm almost eagerly. Probably didn't want to be left there alone. In the next instant, they were standing in North's workshop.

"Thanks." Jack said absentmindedly, already looking around for the Guardians.

"Ah, Jack! Good, you are-why is he here?" Jack tensed a little, then relaxed when he noted that North's voice held only confusion, no anger.

"He's here because I was with him at my party and he can teleport. Which is more convenient then using the winds. Now, did you guys need something?" He asked, maybe a little more harshly than was needed, but he was upset. Especially as there didn't appear to be any sort of crisis happening. He didn't even see the others anywhere. North's face lit up.

"Yes! Come with me!" He boomed, leading the way through the workshop. Jack followed with Loki just behind him, looking somewhat interested in the things around him. Or at least not homicidal, which Jack counted as a step up. Phil the Yeti brought up the rear, regarding the two with suspicion. Loki had tried to help Jack get in a few times, but to no avail. He guessed the only reason they were able to teleport in was because Jack was allowed in now.  
North led the odd procession into a cozy room where the other Guardians were sitting and talking. Tooth jumped up as soon as she saw Jack, giving a squeal of delight.

"Jack! It's so good to see you! Oh, who's your friend? We didn't know you had anyone with you!" She babbled. Jack smiled at her.

"Hey Tooth. Bunny. Sandy. This is Loki." He introduced, noting that, just as he expected, there was no sign of an emergency.

"Loki? Isn't he the bloke that tried to level New York?" Bunny asked suspiciously. Jack noted Loki opening his mouth to answer and quickly averted what would be an answer that would keep them there forever.

"Does it really matter? He's been my friend for a while now. Did you guys need something?" He asked. Tooth gave a little squeal.

"Jack, your friend is adorable! And his teeth… They're gorgeous!" Jack had to grin at the sight of Tooth pushing and pulling at Loki's face, a disgruntled look on the latter's face.

"Heh. Tooth, be careful. He might bite." Jack cautioned. Loki fixed him in a glare.

"I do not _bite._" He said in a tone that suggested such a thing was beneath him. Of course, the effect was somewhat ruined by the muffled quality, but the message got across. Jack just rolled his eyes.

"Right. I forgot, you're much too proper for that." He said.

"Anyways, we did have reason for summoning you." North boomed, motioning to some elves. They approached Jack, carrying a wrapped box above their heads. Jack felt strangely touched as he looked down at it.

"You guys…got me a present?" He asked, taking it and just holding it.

"Of course we did! It's Christmas! Now open!" North was clearly excited, and Sandy was making rapid-fire pictures to the same effect. Even Bunny was looking somewhat happy. Tooth was still preoccupied with Loki's mouth. Jack stared at the shiny present a moment longer before ripping it open. Inside was a belt, delicately crafted from silver that was flexible enough to wrap around his waist. Jack lifted it and frost crept across the surface, making pretty patterns. He grinned and quickly threaded it through his belt loops.

"Thanks guys. It's gorgeous." He said. North beamed.

"Am glad you like. We all helped make it." He said. Jack grinned at them.

"Thanks. I love it." Then he realized something, "wait, I didn't get you guys anything!" He exclaimed. North shrugged.

"Is okay, we weren't expecting it." He said.

"Next year though, we will expect it, mate." Bunny piped up. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind, kangaroo." He retorted.

"As heartwarming as this is, I'm sure they've started eating by now and I'm rather hungry." Loki interrupted. Jack sighed.

"All right, Mr. Grumpy. We can go now." He said, grabbing Loki's arm. He noted the slight flinch and reminded himself to ask about it later. He gave a cheery smile and wave to the Guardians.

"Merry Christmas!" He called before disappearing.

"Think we should tell him the belt allows us to track him?" Bunny asked, helping himself to another cookie. North shook his head.

"No need to worry the boy."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You know, I have never had Loki in a story before this one. Now he's a constant character and Bruce is hardly even in them! This makes me sad. D: I need to write something with Bruce.**

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No one really knew where Jack Frost stood. He would show up at random times, generally in the middle of a fight. On the occasions when they weren't fighting Loki, he would always side with the Avengers, but when they were, it was a toss-up as to which side he would choose. There were times when he didn't pick a side, just stood away from the battle and watched. During those times, at least one person would feel the cold wetness of a snowball hit their back. Jack would just grin and blame someone else. He had actually stopped one fight when he did it to Loki and the trickster left to chase him down.

Because of this, they hadn't really seen him fight much. With Loki he never hurt anyone, mostly just froze things, and against any other opponent he tended to hang back and make sure no one got hurt. The team mostly just assumed that he wasn't a good fighter, that he didn't know how to. Of course, Loki scoffed at that, he had seen the teen fight many times, usually against himself. Loki knew what the spirit was capable of. He wasn't about to enlighten his brother's friends though. He wanted to enjoy their looks of shock when they saw Frost finally, really fight.

When major cloud cover moved in, turning the sky black, the Avengers almost didn't think anything of it. In fact, if it had happened at night, they probably wouldn't have. Even now it registered no more than a small comment. Until Loki materialized in their living room. Before they could go for their various weapons, he held up a hand.

"Spare me the pointless diatribe. As much as I am loathe to admit it, I'm afraid I need your help. Or rather, Jack Frost does." He said, looking rather pained.

"Jack? What is the matter?" Thor asked

"Why should we believe you?" Tony said at the same time. Thor all but glared at him in response.

"My brother does not lie about Jack Frost." He said simply. Tony threw up his hands and headed towards where he kept his suit.

"Well, sure, if it's Jack, then of course we'll go. Because maybe that's the one thing that the _god of lies_ won't lie about." He muttered the whole way. Meanwhile, the rest of the team was ready to go, except for Bruce. He was sitting in what he had claimed as his armchair, drinking tea and looking rather peaceful. Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

"We may have need of the beast." He stated. Bruce sighed.

"Is there another alien army invading?" He questioned.

"The closest thing to it." Loki answered grimly.

Jack wasn't sure where the Nightmares had come from. He had noted the heavy cloud cover when he and Loki were hanging out in the latter's apartment. Well, if Jack perpetually bugging Loki could be called hanging out. He didn't think anything of it, until something shot by the bay of windows. Something that looked suspiciously like one of Pitch's creations. Jack had followed immediately, throwing open a window and jumping out to follow. Loki had yelled at him, something about being an idiot, and thinking for once. Loki had then followed him and helped fight. Jack was fairly certain that he'd seen the sorcerer send off a clone, probably to get reinforcements. He hoped they would be the Guardians: he wasn't certain if the Avengers would even see the Nightmares.

After leading them to the battle site, the Loki they were following shimmered out of existence. They noted that he was now-or had been-fighting a little ways away. The enemy appeared to be black horses made of sand, with golden eyes. The main problem appeared to be numbers, not necessarily strength. These observations took only seconds, then they saw Jack. He was bounding from roof to roof, a pack of the horses behind him. As they watched, he shot up into the air, the horses not far behind. Just as he was about to be engulfed, there was a bright light and a _crack!_ The now iced horses fell to the street below, breaking into a million pieces.

"…did anyone else know he could fight like that?" Clint asked.

"No. He's been holding back…" Natasha answered, sounding slightly awed. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the boy in question. He didn't even appear to be breathing hard.

"Hey. You guys see them?" He asked without preamble.

"Yeah, what exactly are they?" Tony asked.

"Nightmares. I'll explain more later, but for now just know that as long as you aren't frightened of them, they shouldn't attack you." He explained curtly, very unlike the Jack Frost they had gotten to know. Tony flipped down his faceplate.

"Right. Don't be afraid of the creepy-ass magic horses. Got it." With that they were off, although throughout the battle, they watched both Loki and Jack. Surprisingly, apart from a few glares, Loki showed no inclination towards attacking them. As for Jack, he was finally showing his full power, moving everywhere at once at once, blasting the Nightmares until a thin layer of ice coated everything. The battle seemed to last forever, but it was over in about fifteen minutes, with minimal injuries. After all, it is difficult for horses made of sand to harm them. Jack landed next to where the tired heroes were standing. He ran a hand through his hair, dislodging bits of ice.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" He said cheerfully, appearing weary, but no more so than if he had sprinted around the block. The Avengers stared at him.

"You can fight." Tony said, sounding somewhat dazed. Jack shrugged, still grinning.

"Well, yeah. What, did you think the Guardians were called that for the fun of it?" He answered smartly.

"Indeed. And I would not associate with someone unable to defend himself." Loki's voice made more than one of them jump, but he merely stood near Jack, arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"We have had many adventures together!" Thor boomed, clapping Jack's shoulder while beaming at Loki. The latter gave an even more mischievous smirk.

"In fact, Jack, do you remember that one time in the Alps when-" He was cut off by Jack's hand slapping over his mouth.

"We agreed never to speak of that time!" He exclaimed. Thor's laughter boomed through the now-quiet city while the rest of the team watched in something approaching awe. They had never seen this side of Loki, and could almost see why Jack considered him a friend. There was an awkward silence before Tony spoke up.

"So, who wants pizza? I'll order in and we watch Primeval. Dinosaurs and pepperoni is the best, really." He said brightly. Everyone agreed to this and moved off. Except for Loki, who remained rooted to the spot, Jack hovering in between. Tony glanced back at them.

"C'mon, Reindeer Games. I'm sure we can call a truce for one night." The invitation was all Jack needed to grab Loki's arm and drag him to the Tower. Surprisingly, the trickster god didn't complain all that much.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: SCHOOL IS OVER! This doesn't necessarily mean that updates will be faster, it just means that they will be more probable. :P Anyways, this is a continuation of the last one, all from Loki's point of view, because I've been reading a lot of fics with him as the center.**

* * *

Even though he would never admit it to anyone else, even himself, Loki had friends. Kind of. Most normal people would probably not call his relationships healthy, but when could his emotional state ever be healthy to normal people? So yes, he had people that he considered friends, somewhere in his twisted mind. Jack was one, and somehow the Avengers had also managed to make it onto his short list. Another thing that most people would say was not healthy for his mind was just how overly protective of his friends he was. He could hurt them, but no one else could touch them. And all of them had been threatened by the Nightmares. Never mind that the horses hadn't gone directly after his friends, they had come into the direct vicinity. Which was what had led him to Burgess. He scoffed at the broken bed sitting over a hole in the ground. 'Monster under the bed' indeed. Only Midgardians would fall for such nonsense. He summoned a small globe of light in one hand and started down the hole. Inside was a cavernous, dark room. Cages hung around on the ceiling and there was a globe in the middle of the room, small lights flickering on it.

"Loki Odinson. Such a pleasure." Pitch stepped out of the shadows in front of him, pale skin contrasting with dark robes. At first glance he appeared to be hale, but the second revealed shaking hands and a slight stoop to his shoulders. Pitch smiled.

"I suppose you wish to join forces in order to overrun this pitiful world." He said, sounding satisfied. Loki smiled as well, showing far too many teeth.

"Oh, no. Quite the opposite actually." He moved to stand directly in front of the spirit, still smiling, although it was more of a snarl now. He was only inches away and Pitch went even paler than he was normally.

"I suppose you didn't hear my earlier decree. I'll tell you now. Stay away from New York. It's mine. And nobody touches the Avengers or Jack Frost." He hissed. Pitch's eyes narrowed.

"Jack Frost? The meddling whelp!" He leaned into Lokis face, his yellow eyes alight. "I tell you now, if he comes across my path again, I will kill him and those who stand in his way." His tone spoke of barely restrained anger and Loki felt its equal rise up in him.

"You will never lay a finger on him,_ Bogeyman_." He spat. They stared at each other for a few moments, at an impasse, until Pitch smiled. The smile grew until he began to a cackle, an insane laugh not unlike Lokis not so long ago.

"Oh, that is rich. You _care_ for the brat. For all your talk about sentiment, you _actually_ care for him. Tell me, does he know that you are a monster?" He hissed. Loki growled and slashed with one of his knives, only for Pitch to disappear into the darkness. His laugh continued to echo though, and Loki threw a fireball out of frustration. Then another and another, until the lair was ablaze and the laughter had stopped. Then he left quickly, uncomfortable in the rising temperature. He stood in the woods, staring at that broken bed for a long while, thinking about Pitch's words. He didn't know how Jack would react when he told of his true heritage. Surely he would recoil, just as those in Asgard had. Surely Jack would shun him, never speak to him again. Right?

"Hey, Loki! What are you doing in my neck of the woods?" Loki glanced up to see Jack perched in a tree above him. He smirked at the teen.

"World domination. The small towns always go first." He deadpanned. Jack laughed.

"Right. I'll definitely remember that. Well, in between your world domination plans, care to come hang out? I'm meeting Jamie at the lake in a few minutes, I'm sure he'd love to meet you." Jack offered. Loki shrugged.

"I suppose I can meet your mortal." He agreed. And then maybe later he'd tell him. Maybe.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: My thoughts on this chapter? An overwhelming **_**Eh**_**. I don't know, it just didn't quite turn out like I pictured. Jack didn't cooperate. :P**

* * *

Loki's first thought when he saw Jamie was that the child looked like he could be Jacks younger brother. Not so much looks wise, but the sparkle in his eyes that proclaimed he was likely to get into trouble. As soon as the child spotted them, he jumped up from where he was sitting on a log.

"Jack! I saw the frost and knew you'd be here! Who's that?" He asked, pointing at Loki.

"Jamie, meet my friend, Loki. Loki, meet Jamie." Jack introduced, leaning on his staff. Instantly Jamie's eyes lit up.

"You're friends with _Loki_? That's so cool! I've read a lot of stuff about you! Are you really the God of fire? Why did you cut off Sif's hair? Did you and Thor really dress up as women? And-"

"Hold on, dress up as women? I never heard about that one..." Jack interrupted. Loki bit back a groan and glared at the tiny mortal. He was definitely like Jack, troublesome.

"The buffoon lost his hammer and we had to retrieve it. He dressed as a bride and I as his lady in waiting." Loki explained the bare minimum and Jack burst into laughter.

"Thor must have been an ugly woman! I mean, did the guy not look at him?" He said between chuckles. Loki allowed a small smile.

"Indeed. Thor wore a veil and refused to remove it. I assure you though, no man would have mistaken him for a woman." He said. Jamie was staring at him now, even going so far as to try and circle him. Loki turned with him, keeping him in sight.

"What are you doing?" He asked. Jamie looked up, innocent brown eyes filled with curiosity.

"You don't look like the frost giants in my book." He said, head cocked. Loki froze. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. How could this puny little mortal, not even fully grown, know about him? Know his secret? He glanced at Jack, but the winter spirit just looked expectant. No doubt waiting for him to laugh at the boys accusation. But he found that he couldn't. So he did the only thing he could think of. He teleported.

* * *

Jack stared at the spot where Loki had been, now inhabited by green smoke. He didn't know what was wrong with the trickster, but there had been fear in his eyes just before he disappeared. But fear of what? Jack didn't think there was anything around them, and Loki wouldn't just leave if there was. No, the fear seemed to be directed towards him. Like Loki thought he was about to attack.

"Jack?" Jamie's small voice broke him out of his thoughts. The kid looked heartbroken.

"Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to..." He said mournfully. Jack shook his head.

"No, he, um, he does that a lot. He can be kind of rude sometimes." He answered, smiling. Jamie smiled back, reassured.

"You gotta bring him back sometime, I have loads of questions!" He said. Jack nodded, trying to figure out what was wrong while Jamie chattered.

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll come back next week sometime." He finally said. Jamie nodded.

"Yeah, he looked pretty upset. See ya later!" He said, bounding back towards his house. Jack waved at him, shaking his head. The kid was pretty observant. Of course, Loki hadn't been hiding his feelings for once. With that in mind, he took off into the wind.

* * *

Jack finally found him sitting on a mountaintop somewhere in the Sierras. The god's feet were dangling over a ledge that would make anyone else pale. Jack just flopped down beside him.

"So what was that all about?" Jack asked over a short silence. Loki didn't look at him.

"I'd rather not talk about it." He muttered. Jack rolled his eyes. Loki acted more like a teenager than him half the time.

"Tough. I want to, so you get to either listen to me talk to myself, or tell me." He thought for a moment, "I could always just go get Thor…" He suggested, moving as though to go. Instantly, Loki's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't you dare." There was a touch of insanity in Loki's eyes. Normally Jack wouldn't pull the big brother card, but he was worried.

"Fine, I won't. But only if you tell me what's up." He said. Whatever this was had been eating away at his friend for some time now. Ever since he first came back, actually. Loki muttered something, but Jack didn't hear.

"What?" He questioned.

"I'm adopted." Loki muttered again. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Is that all?" He asked. Being adopted wasn't all that bad. He knew several people that were. Loki rolled his eyes.

"As if finding out that the family that I've lived with for centuries is not actually my family isn't enough. But no Jack. That isn't all. I also found out who my birth parents are. And I found out that I'm a monster." He snarled the last part. Jack sighed.

"A monster? I'm pretty sure it's the personality that makes someone a monster, not necessarily the parentage." He pointed out. Loki stretched out a hand. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, very slowly, it began to turn blue, tendrils of the color reaching up his arm. Jack watched with some interest, until it stopped at the elbow.

"Okay, so your arm turns blue?" He asked, confused. He really wasn't sure how that qualified for monster status.

"No, it happens all over." Loki answered. He still refused to meet Jack's gaze. Jack shrugged.

"So you're blue. I have a friend that's a rabbit. I fail to see the connection to monsters." He said. Loki let a sigh that was almost a growl.

"I am a _Frost Giant_, Jack! A monster, the one that parents warn their children about!" He exploded. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"First of all, I have not heard of frost giants, but the name is pretty cool. Secondly, I met the Bogeyman. Good luck beating him on sheer creepiness." He answered. Loki finally met his eyes.

"You are stubborn." The trickster stated. Jack grinned.

"Noted. Now, want to get up to some mischief?" He offered. Loki gave a small smile in return.

"Always."


	10. Chapter 10

It was the worst time of the week: time for the update meeting with Fury. The entire team dreaded it, even Steve. Mostly because they generally just degenerated into an argument between various teammates-in other words, Tony and Steve-and really, they could do that in the comfort of the Tower. And the entire thing was pointless when there were no bad guys to fight anyways. Fury just wanted to make sure they were all still alive and not decimating cities somewhere.  
Today's meeting, though, appeared to be slightly more interesting. Mostly because Loki and Jack teleported to stand on top of the briefing table in the middle of yet another argument. Jack grinned and waved at their shocked faces, ignoring Fury.  
"Hey guys! I wanted a tour, so Loki volunteered-"  
"Was shanghaied." Loki corrected.  
"Volunteered to show me around." He finished without missing a beat. The team sat in silence, until Fury finally broke it.  
"What the hell is Loki doing on my helicarrier, and why aren't you doing anything about it?" He asked, gun already pointed at Loki's face. Jack got between the two, peering at him with some interest.  
"Who's he?" He asked. Tony sighed and shook his head.  
"Figures this would happen. Jack, this is Nick Fury. Fury, this is Jack Frost." He said, waving vaguely at the space Jack occupied.  
"In case you lost your mind, that is Loki. Jack Frost is a character in a child's story." Fury said, his expression saying that he doubted their sanity at the moment.  
"As much as I hate to admit it, Stark is right at the time. Jack Frost is standing right in front of you." Loki put in. Of course, as a 'villain,' his word didn't tend to mean much. Nonetheless, Fury frowned at the space in front of him, then waved his gun. Jack jumped back a little to avoid getting passed through.  
"Hey now, watch where you're swinging that thing!" He exclaimed. Fury glanced around the room at the various team members, all of them with varying degrees of amusement showing.  
"All right, you are all going into therapy as of right now." He decided. Loki grinned and grabbed Jack's arm.  
"I do believe that is our cue to leave." He said, teleporting them both in a cloud of green smoke. The team stared, shocked once more.  
"Those bastards." Tony gritted out.

* * *

Back in Loki's penthouse, Jack was almost on the floor laughing.  
"Did you see their faces? It was priceless!" He howled. Loki stood over him, the closest thing to a grin on his face as anyone had ever seen.  
"It was amusing. A prank worthy of the god of mischief." He agreed. Maybe not that good, but Jack's reaction was enough to make up for it. Honestly, he would have rather just iced Fury in the face, but he knew Jack wouldn't agree with it. And as he stared at his laughing friend, he almost had to agree. This was funnier.

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**A/N: *stares at doc* What. I have no idea what I just wrote. Sorry for the long break between updates, guys. I'd promise to do better, but that's a lie.**

**Meanwhile, what the heck? 109 reviews? Seriously, I love you all, you are amazing! I haven't ever gotten this many reviews on a fic, and I have no idea why I did on this one, to be honest. But thanks! Sorry I'm a horrible person and don't really reply to them, just know that I love you anyways!**


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